Twitch, YouTube influencers are becoming video game publishers

Influencers in the video-game industry are evolving from playing games to making them.

Over the weekend, One True King, a media company focused on gaming content, launched Mad Mushroom, a new publishing division.

“We have a unique competitive advantage in this space,” said OTK co-founder Asmongold, a top streamer on Twitch, Amazon.com Inc.’s live-streaming platform. “We can give games the push they need to actually go out to market, get eyes on the game and give [developers] insight.”

Moving forward, OTK’s stable of gaming influencers will collaborate with lead adviser Mike Silbowitz, a gaming industry veteran who has previously worked at Square Enix Inc., to publish, distribute, test and market games.